Crystal Stars
by OfficialBacon
Summary: What would it look like if the Dragonball series was composed of Mario characters? Read on and find out.
1. Chapter 1

**I was asked to do this story by anon. I'll be honest, this will probably go through the entire Dragonball series, to include Z and the movies. I'm rewatching the whole thing as I do this, and it's going to be 1 chapter per episode, so this might take a while. Either way, welcome to StarBall!**

We begin in a forest. It's simple enough, with the nicest of woodland creatures and the most beautiful of trees and mountains. In the very middle of this forest stands a little cottage. Nothing out of the ordinary about it, except perhaps for its occupant.

In the middle of the clearing that the cottage stands in, there is a young boy clothed in a red shirt and cap. Strapped to his back is a sizable hammer, although he seems to have no difficulty carrying it around. He is focused entirely on a log that sits before him, and the reason for this incredible focus is soon clear. He rushes the log, throwing it into the air, and leaps after it, kicking it into perfect blocks.

He falls to the ground, taking a deep breath. As he exhales, the blocks fall into a beautiful stack just in front of him. He stands, clutching his stomach in hunger. Little did he know that his life was about to change forever.

A quarter mile away, a car sped along the old mountain road, coming to a halt on a sharp curve. Out from it stepped an absolute beauty of a girl, with flowing brown hair and a teenage figure to drop any jaw. She reached into a pocket and pulled from it a circular device, studying it very closely.

"Let's see here...oh, yeah! There it is! You're as good as mine, you little jewel." Having stretched sufficiently, she slid back into the car and took off.

Back at the cottage, the young boy was slipping his hammer back over his shoulder. He turned to the silver diamond star that lay on a pillow in the middle of his room and nodded to it. "I'll be back soon, Grandpa. Stay there while I'm gone." As he spoke, the star lit up, illuminating it's entire side of the room. "Wow! I've never seen you do that before! Can you do it again?" No reply was forthcoming. "Well, you can wait until later if you have to. I'll be back soon, okay?" With that, he rushed out the door, speaking to himself as he went. "So, what's for dinner today? I think...fish." He leapt across the river gorge without breaking a sweat, grabbing a vine and swinging into a wild apple tree. "But first, a little snack."

He had finished the first apple in a mere two bites, tossing the core down beneath the tree branch he was on. Unfortunately, it struck a Goomba, who looked up into the tree, growling in anger. Without warning, it leapt up, snapping at the boy. He chuckled, using his grip on the tree to swing backwards and off the branch, completely dodging the Goomba's attack. He dashed away, laughing all the while. "Come on, catch me if you can!" The Goomba charged once again, snapping and growling. Just as suddenly as the boy had come, though, he was gone. And so was the ground. Before the Goomba even had time to react, he was freefalling all the way down the river gorge.

The boy had managed to grab onto a branch a few feet down, but he had underestimated his own weight and barely had time to right himself before the branch cracked and fell with him still on it. No matter, he splashed out of the river giggling once again. "That was great!"

A few moments later, the boy sat on a rock on the shore, his clothes out to dry. He took a look around and dove into the water without further delay. It was a mere minute before he came up with a fish fifteen times larger than himself easily. "Alright, this ought to last me until dinner!" He wriggled back into his clothes and set to dragging the fish back to his house.

Just as he struck the path, a strange growling sound started after him. "Huh? What's that noise?" Just as the question left his lips, the answer was presented in the form of some strange metal block charging toward him. He froze, unsure of what action to take, and so was struck head on, the collision flinging him backward into a tree.

The driver had her eyes shut as tight as they would go, asking herself just one question. "Is he dead?" She quickly jerked one eye open and was relieved to see the boy crouching in fear behind that gigantic fish. "Oh, so you're alive?" The boy grimaced in anger.

"Thought you'd finished me off, huh? Well, you're not getting my fish that easy, you big monster!" Just like that, the car began to lift up into the air, raised up by the boy.

"Gah! Stop that! What are you doing?!" The boy groaned under the strain of lifting the car, but he continued doing just that.

"Grah...This is for hitting me!" With that, he tossed the car a good ten feet, landing it perfectly on it's side. The two left wheels popped off, and seeing that he had the advantage, the boy drew his hammer. "There, that'll teach you. Sneaking up on me from behind...Well, I'm ready for you this time. Why don't you come out of your shell and fight?" The girl poked her head up through the window, shuddering with fear. Goku raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you used up all of your power already?" The girl grimaced as she lifted a handgun from inside the car.

"Not quite!" Five shots flew from the barrel, each hitting a different limb and one striking him directly in the forehead. The boy fell over, clutching his head. His legs twitched as he sat up, grimacing in pain.

"Oh, wow...What was that?" The girl caught her breath.

"But...but how? You shouldn't be alive, kid!" The boy stood up, straight up yelling now.

"Thought you'd finished me again, huh? Well Grandpa told me about things like you. Your black arts won't work on me!" He drew his hammer and charged. "It's your turn, monster!" Finally that last word registered in her mind.

"Monster? Wait, kid! I'm not a monster, I'm a human being, just like you are!" He skidded a few inches as he stopped.

"Wait, you are?" She rolled her eyes as she pushed herself out of the car door.

"Of course I am. You can see that for yourself, can't you?" She stepped forward, causing him to leap backward. "Look, I won't bite."

"Stay back!" He moved a little closer, giving her the once-over. "A human, you say?"

"That's right. Want to see my certificate of authenticity?" Not understanding half of those words, he dismissed it.

"No thanks." He moved around her in a circle, obviously looking for something.

"How long is this going to take?"

"Well, you're human alright, but you're different. You're thin and scrawny." She crossed her arms in frustration.

"I'm a girl, silly! That's why." A look of shock came across his face.

"A girl? So that's what you are..." She couldn't actually believe this.

"Oh my gosh. Are you saying you've never seen a girl before?" He stopped inspecting her and spoke face to face.

"Nope. Beside my Grandpa, you're the only human being that I've ever seen. But Grandpa did tell me about girls. He told me that if I ever ran into a girl that I should be as polite as I possibly could." She got a bit of a twinkle in her eye.

"Well, what a nice thing to say. Your grandpa sounds like a very wise man, is he?"

"Well, he was. His game ended a long time ago." As he spoke, the boy lifted up the back end of the girl's skirt while she was lost in her ministries. She shot around, screaming straight at him.

"Shame on you! What do you think you're doing?!"

"I was just checking to see if you had a tail." Only now did she notice the strange catlike tail that was growing from the boy's lower back. "Don't worry, maybe it just takes girls longer to get theirs." There was really no comeback to this, so she just ad-libbed a response.

"Oh, I'm sure it'll sprout up any time now." In her head, she couldn't get over how weird this kid was. She was jerked from her thoughts by that little voice again.

"So, how did you get that monster to obey you?" The boy was gesturing to the car.

"That's no monster, silly, that's a car." He leapt up on the overturned door.

"Oh, so this is a car. Grandpa told me about these but I'd never actually seen one." She figured that if he was going to make random comments, she might as well too.

"You know, for a little kid, you're really strong." He jerked around, a smile on his face.

"Thanks, Grandpa trained me to be like steel! Oh, and since you were driving a car around, does that mean you're from one of the big cities?" She nodded.

"You got it."

"Wow! Hey, why don't you come to my house and I'll make you some lunch. You can tell me all about the city you're from." She held up a finger.

"Hold on just a second." Once again she drew out the little circular device. Sure enough, it pointed in the same direction the boy was headed. "Well, I'd guess we're having fish for lunch, so sure. What else is on the agenda?" He shrugged.

"Well, we can have lunch and talk, and then we can play together." She raised an eyebrow.

"Look, if you think we're doing anything improper, you can forget it." He tilted his head.

"Improper? What're you talking about?" Her eyes bulged as she realized her mistake. Well, that was one less thing to worry about with this kid. Honestly, something this innocent was just adorable.

"Oh, nevermind." He turned back to the path.

"Girls sure are strange. Anyway, let's go!" She started off after him.

"So kid, what's your name, anyway?" He looked back, still grinning.

"My name is Mario. How about yours?"

"Oh, my name? My name is Daisy." He chuckled.

"That's kind of funny." Her eyebrows lowered.

"What's wrong with that? Mario's not exactly the most beautiful name, either, you know."

"Yeah, but it's still not as funny as yours." She blushed in anger.

"Hey, Daisy happens to be a very elegant name! It's a lot better than Mario, that's for sure!"

It only took a few more minutes for them to reach Mario's cottage. Daisy couldn't help but get a nice vibe from it.

"You know, that's a nice little place you've got there."

"Thanks, just give me one second." He rushed through the door and was immediately struck by the sight of his Grandpa glowing once again. "Listen!" Daisy stuck her head in through the door.

"What's up?"

"Grandpa's trying to talk to me." She looked around.

"But Mario, I don't hear anyone..." She had just seen it. Right there, in the middle of the room. "Oh my goodness, it's a Crystal Star!" She rushed forward, shoving Goku out of the way. She grabbed it off of the pillow, gazing into it. Goku leapt up, grabbing her by the skirt.

"Hey, gimme my Grandpa back, now!" He reached up, snatching the ball from her.

"Wait, Grandpa?"

"Yeah! This is the only thing my Grandpa gave me to remember him by. Only I can touch it, but look..." The glowing and strange water sounds started up again. "He's trying to talk to me. What do you think he's saying?" Daisy reached down for her hip.

"I hate to do this, but..." She pulled from the pouch there two identical relics, each with a differing number of points. Mario leapt back.

"No way! You've got two Grandpas!" She grinned with amusement.

"They're not grandpas. They're called Crystal Stars." He looked at her skeptically.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Definitely. See, your star started glowing because it was reacting to the two that I have. Look." She set her two down on the table, and Mario warily followed her lead. Almost immediately, the three balls started shining even brighter than before.

"Wow..."

"Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, these gems have the power to do great things, and some not so great. If a bad guy got ahold of these stars, he could wreak some serious havoc." Mario looked down at his star.

"Well, what do these things do?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" He nodded eagerly. "Well, okay."

Far away, a trio of odd individuals came to the threshold of a dark chamber. They each gulped, but only one spoke up.

"I don't know. It looks pretty dark in there..." The leader of the group rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Guy." They strolled into the chamber, coming quickly to their prize. The leader chuckled to himself. "Ah, yes. Come to Jr. Troopa, my precious. Yes!" Just as he lifted the Crystal Star from it's resting place, one of the huge guardian statues swiveled on it's axis and fell directly on top of him. It's helmet flew open, revealing a dead skull. "Gah! Get off of me, you bonehead!" Jr. Troopa threw the knight off, dusting himself clean. The skull rolled out across the floor, releasing bats and bugs as it went.

After a few minutes of observing this spectacle in horror, Jr. Troopa lifted the Crystal Star up before himself. "Well, enough of that. I'm here to make my wish!"

"Sir!" He jerked around in annoyance.

"What is it, Wendy?!"

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but you need all seven Crystal Stars before you can make a wish." His eyes bulged as it all came back to him.

"...more searching, then."

"But just imagine, my lord. On the day when the seven Crystal Stars are reunited, a beautiful burst of energy will light up the sky, exploding in a fiery light. The Eternal Mother, Rosalina, will rise before you with the sole purpose of granting you a single wish, whatever it may be." Jr. Troopa grinned evilly.

"Well, in that case, I guess I can handle a little more searching. I will rule the entire world!"

Back at Mario's hut, the occupants were both finishing their conversation. "Wow! That's amazing! Anything you want, you said? And it'll come true? I wonder why my Grandpa didn't tell me about any of this stuff."

"He may not have known about it, Mario. Not many people do. The truth is, you and I are part of just a few people in the world who know about the Crystal Stars or Rosalina." She picked up two of them.

"Don't get mine mixed up with yours, okay?"

"Don't worry, that's impossible. Each one is made of a different kind of jewel. See, this one's made of emerald."

"Oh, I get it! Grandpa's star is made of diamond!"

"Now you're catching on." She leapt up, thinking aloud now. "I can't believe I already have three of the stars! At this rate I'll be able to wish for a boyfriend by the end of the month!" She turned to him. "You are going to let me use your Crystal Star to make a wish, right?" He jerked his back away from her.

"You can forget it! Grandpa gave me this star to remember him by, and I'm not gonna hand it over just because you're a girl."

"But your grandpa said to be as polite as possible to girls." Mario disregarded this statement entirely, sticking out his tongue at her. She pursed her lips, thinking desperately.

"Ok, look. I'll trade you." She lifted one corner of her skirt seductively. "You let me have your Crystal Star, and I'll let you have a little peek." Mario crossed his arms in confusion.

"What do I care about seeing your dirty old fanny?" Daisy lit up on him, screaming directly in his face.

"IT IS NOT DIRTY, YOU RUDE LITTLE BOY!" This little fit seemed to calm her, and she started thinking to herself again. "Well, there's got to be a way. The hunt must go on. Oh, I know! Why don't you come with me? We'll be partners. What do you say?" Mario didn't seem too opposed to the idea.

"Oh, to go hunt stars?"

"Sure, why not? You'd get to see so many new things and learn so much. Your Grandpa would be very proud of you." His eyes lit up.

"Really? You think Grandpa would be proud if I went?!"

"Of course he would. Seeing his grandson venturing out into the world all on his own? Seeing all the cities and crossing the desert and seeing the ocean?"

"Alright, that sounds great! I'll go with you."

"This'll be great. So we're partners?"

"Alright, but I still get to keep my Grandpa's Star." Daisy grinned innocently.

"You drive a hard bargain, but I guess that's fair." She couldn't wait. This kid would be a perfect bodyguard until she found the rest of the Stars and made her wish. She'd have the most perfect boyfriend that ever lived. She jerked from her thoughts as they walked out the door. "Well, here we go. The start of a great adventure." Mario turned to her.

"Hey, Daisy. How do we know where to start looking? The Crystal Stars could be anywhere in the whole world, right?" She drew up to her full height, a smug grin on her face.

"Just who do you think you're dealing with here, kid? I'm no amateur." She pulled from her satchel the little round device from earlier, tapping it once. Suddenly it lit up with dots in different locations across it. "See, it's a World Map. Each of these locations has one of the Crystal Stars. These three here are our Crystal Stars, we've already cleared them. And these are the others. It looks like the closest Star is right here, about 750 miles to the west." Mario looked up from the Map.

"Is that a long way?" She tucked the Map back into her satchel.

"Let's just say that it's out of our walking distance. And since you broke my car, we'll be needing a new set of wheels." She pulled a box out from the back pocket of the satchel and selected a small yellow block with a question mark emblem on it. "This'll do." She flicked it with one finger and tossed it a few feet ahead of them. As it touched the ground, it exploded into smoke, and when that cleared all that was left was a motocycle. "Like it?" Mario stumbled back in shock.

"D-Daisy, how did you do that? You're some kind of a witch, aren't you?" She shook her head.

"No, witchcraft has nothing to do with it. Everyone in the city has Item Blocks. How can you get anywhere without them?" She climbed into the motorcycle, waiting for Mario to follow. He circled the vehicle once, poking it with his hammer. "Good grief, will you just hop on? It won't bite you." Mario leapt on behind her and the ignition kicked on. "Ok, here we GO!" The bike flew down the dirt path, leaving Mario screaming.

"Wow! This thing goes even faster than I can run!" Daisy rolled her eyes.

"Of course, moron. Get with the program!"

After a few minutes of riding, Daisy had to yell out for dear life. "Ease up, Mario! You're squeezing the life out of me!" His grip loosened.

"Just relax. I happen to be an expert driver and I have everything under total conTROOOOO-" They had flown over a steep hill, coming to a skidding halt just on the other side. Mario chuckled with excitement.

"Wow, that was fun! Let's go back and do it again, Daisy! Just one more time, please?" She was a bit preoccupied as she slid off of the bike.

"Sorry, Mario. Time for a pit stop." He started off the bike

"Ok, I'll come too." Her eyes bulged.

"Oh no you won't! Don't the words pit stop mean anything to you?! Look, just stay there!" She rushed off behind a boulder as Mario continued speaking.

"Pit stop? What does that mean?"

"I NEED TO PEE, YOU LAME-BRAIN!" Mario scratched his head.

"I don't get it. Why can't she just pee right here? How strange."

"Mario, come here! QUICK!" Mario turned back to the boulder.

"I wish she'd make up her mind." He rushed off to the boulder. "Coming, Daisy!" As he rounded the corner, he was faced with the sight of a gigantic Paratroopa. It turned, looking him right in the eye.

"And who are you, kiddo?"

"My name's Mario. Are you a friend of Daisy's?" The beast laughed.

"Yes, that's it. In fact, we have dinner reservations for two right about now." In the blink of an eye, the monster had pulled out a rope and lashed it around Mario, strapping him to a tree. The boy looked down at his body and thought aloud.

"You know, I think he was lying." The monster spoke from behind him.

"You're a regular Einstein. See you, twerp." He lifted off, carrying a still screaming Daisy with him. "Hey, stop being such a downer! I'm in the mood for a happy meal!" From behind them, Mario yelled out.

"Hey, where are you guys going?" Daisy smashed the monster's foot in anger.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE, IDIOT! GET ME DOWN!" Mario looked down at the ropes that bound him.

"Well, I don't blame her for being upset, but she doesn't have to go calling me names." His tail popped up from behind him, untangling the ropes in a second flat. He looked back up at them, thinking aloud. "Well, I'd like to help her down, but I really don't know how to fly. Oh wait, I've got it!" He rushed over to the motorcycle, hopping into the driver's seat. "Now, how's this thing work? Daisy was able to make it fly a few minutes ago." He flicked a few switches and the bike started rolling forward. "Well, it's moving." It only took a few seconds to realize that this wasn't good enough. "Come on, whatever you are. We've got to get moving, Daisy's in trouble!" Without meaning to, he twisted the accelerator, sending the bike speeding forward.

In a minute, he was caught up to the Paratroopa, a wide grin on his face. He shifted his body weight all the way up against the main guard, sending the bike flying into the air. "Alright, Daisy! Just a little further, hang on!" The beast turned, seeing the same boy from earlier riding a motorcycle alongside him through the air. The boy was already falling, though.

"Hah!" His laugh came too soon. The boy leapt off the bike as it fell, almost reaching the flying Koopa's face, but once again he fell.

"Alright, take this you big bully! Hammer pole, extend!" He drew his hammer, watching as the grip grew to impossible lengths. He swung it straight downward, catching the beast perfectly across the neck. It released Daisy as it screamed in pain, falling toward the ground. Daisy flailed in midair, trying to right herself. Mario fell alongside her, a few yards below. "Here, Daisy!" He threw the now normal sized hammer up to her, slowing her significantly and allowing her to land safely on two feet. She turned to him, screaming straight into his face. Things, it seemed, were back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

Daisy and Mario sped along, enjoying the feeling of the setting sun on their faces. "Hey, Daisy! Pull over! I just saw a Wiggler. That should tide us over until dinner." Daisy didn't even bother looking back.

"That's disgusting, Mario! If you don't want to gross everyone out, you're going to have to stop eating Sockops and Wigglers and things like that." Mario's stomach growled.

"Really?"

"Mm hmm."

"How about Rexes?"

"Nope, eating Rexes is nasty too, kid. You're just gonna have to toughen up." As she finished speaking, she pulled the bike to a halt.

"Yeah! This looks like a good place to camp!" Mario leapt off the bike, looking around for a soft patch of ground.

"Well, there's no need to live outside like savages. I have my Item Blocks, remember?" She pulled the case from her satchel once again.

"Don't tell me you have a tent in one of those things, Daisy!" She flipped the case open, grinning at her collection.

"Well, not exactly."

"I don't like those weird Magikoopa bombs. Grandpa said never to use magic unless it's to help someone." Daisy slid off the bike, clutching a Block in her palm. She gave it a tap and tossed it up in her hand.

"Well, I am going to help someone. She's gorgeous and has brown hair. Now, here we go!" She tossed the block into a clearing and it exploded into smoke. When the dust cleared, there stood a perfectly formed dome structure. Daisy strolled up to it, humming in satisfaction. She pulled the door open as Mario leapt up behind her, hammer drawn.

"Daisy, get away from it's mouth! Don't worry, I'll protect you from this monster!" She shook her head.

"Well, that awfully noble of you, but this is just a house. She reached around the corner, flicking the lights on." Mario replaced his hammer and ran in, looking around frantically.

"Daisy! You made it light but it's dark outside! How?" She slipped off her leather jacket and laid it on the table, enjoying the freedom its absence provided.

"It's a little something we call electricity. Were you transported from the NES age, or what?" Mario stumbled around, trying to take it all in.

"W-Wow! This is amazing!" Bulma grinned, blushing from her adoration. She reached down, tapping the On button to the TV just as Mario stepped past it. He leapt backward as a bear playing a banjo came onscreen, then moved in a bit closer to investigate.

"Oh, Mario..."

"Daisy, that guy's trapped! Oh, no! And look, he's trying to break the glass by playing that horrible music!" She flipped channels to a romance, and suddenly she ceased caring about whatever Mario thought of her little tricks. As the two characters grew nearer, she couldn't help but be drawn in, focused entirely on her goal of attaining the perfect boyfriend.

"Yes, one little kiss...Almost there...Come on..." Just as the two lovers' lips were about to meet, Mario slipped the remote out from her hands.

"Hey, what's this thing?" He clicked a button on it and suddenly the screen jumped to a monster's face in a horror movie. Daisy fell back, screaming in surprise. Mario chuckled as she let out a series of silent screams.

"You shut up!"

"Heh. Hey, are you getting hungry, Daisy?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you're drooling." She ran a hand across her mouth.

"Well, now I'm embarrassed." As she stood, she realized that there was a terrible smell on Mario's level. "Euch...What's that terrible smell? Mario, you need a bath!" He placed a finger to his mouth.

"Ummm...What's a bath?" Her eyes bulged out and she shrank away.

"Augh! I can't even believe you're asking! I guess...I've got to...show you..."

After a fair bit of bellyaching from Daisy, Goku had stripped down in the bathroom and grabbed the piece of cloth Daisy had tossed at him.

"We civilized people call that a towel. Come on, let's get this over with." He drug the towel along beside him, inspecting the tub Daisy had gestured to. "Look at you! You're supposed to cover up the front!" He lay the towel over his face.

"Like this?" Daisy rolled her eyes in frustration. She lifted him into the tub and went straight to work, scrubbing his hair down with a thick liquid that quickly turned to bubbles. "Why are you putting this fluffy stuff in my hair?"

"It's called shampoo, and I'm putting it in your hair to clean it. I don't do this very often, you know. You should be grateful. No wonder your hair stands up! It's never been washed." She turned on the shower head and rinsed him off. "There. That's better." He turned around, trying to splash the water out of his eyes. "Woah!" She reached down and grabbed the long brown tail sprouting from his behind. "How does this thing stay on, kid? I thought it was attached to your pants. What did you do, superglue it to your butt?" She yanked on it, having the best of intentions.

"OW! That hurts! What are you doing back there?"

"I'm trying to get this thing off so I can wash your back properly." She gestured to the brush she was holding.

"Oh, that's okay. I can wash my own back." His tail reached out, grabbing the brush from her hands and scrubbing it across his lower back. "See, it's easy." She gazed wide-eyed at the marvel before her.

"AAAAAUUUGHHH!" She stumbled out of the bathroom, collapsing on her bed. "I-It moves...That means it's-it's real!" Mario strolled into the room, drying his hair. "Mario, w-why do you have a tail growing?!"

"Well, I don't know why. I just know that all boys have them. It's no big deal, it's just the way we are." This sent Daisy on a whole new realization trip. She'd never actually seen a boy take a bath before, so she couldn't be sure. Maybe they just kept them tucked away in their pants or something. How bizarre. She was jerked from her thoughts by Mario's continued speaking.

"Well, I guess I can't say all boys, since my Grandpa didn't have one."

"Yeah! See, see, normal men don't have tails or your grandpa would have had one!"

"Well, maybe, but my grandpa was a very strange man!" She growled in frustration.

"You're the real oddball!" He disregarded that statement as he slid on his pants.

"So, that was a bath, huh?" She sat back, sighing.

"A bath sounds so good right now." She strolled into the bathroom, stripping down as the tub refilled. She slid into the water, laying back and relaxing.

"Ahhhh...There's nothing like a long hot bath to melt a woman's cares away, that's for sure." She closed her eyes, grinning. Just for something to do, she turned her neck to both sides, allowing her eyes to crack open. On her left there was a wall, but on her right stood Mario, now fully clothed.

"AAAAAAHHH!" She dove underneath the water, covering herself with bubbles. After a few seconds she slowly rose back up, gazing at him angrily. "What are you doing?! Can't you see I'm taking a bath, kid?"

"Well, yeah. I was going to help you scrub your back, since you don't have a tail."

"No way! I can scrub my own back, now beat it! Shoo, shoo!" He rubbed his chin.

"I don't get it, Daisy. You were going to help me scrub my back."

"You're a little kid and I'm practically a full grown woman! There's a big difference."

"There is?"

"Yes, there certainly is. But we're not going to get into that right now."

"Hey, you don't have to be ashamed. No way!"

"What are you talking about? I happen to be one of the most beautiful girls you'll ever see, so what do I have to be ashamed of, buster?"

"Not having a tail?"

"That's it. Get out of my face."

"But I want to help!"

"Beat it."

"Oh, come on!" Daisy sat there for a few seconds, blowing bubbles as her anger boiled over. A few moments later Mario could be seen dashing out of the bathroom, closely pursued by a variety of airborne hygiene products.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! GET OUT OF MY BATHROOM AND STAY OUT! AND FOR THE LAST TIME, I DON'T WANT A STUPID TAIL!" A bottle of shampoo flew from the open door, striking Mario in the forehead.

A minute later, Daisy was out of the tub, drying her hair in front of the mirror. "It's about time I got a little privacy."

"Daisy?" She looked down, seeing Mario's reflection just behind her own in the mirror. "I'm hungry."

"MARIO!"

Meanwhile, at Jr. Troopa's tower, Shu Guy knelt in the throne room of the Koopa. "Well, did you bring me a Crystal Star, Guy?"

"Well, n-no, sire. I got really hungry so I came back."

"IMBECILE! You won't get so much as a bone until you bring me another Crystal Star!"

"B-but sire, I'm so hungry that I can't even think!

"That's a good thing, Guy. You'll have to trust me on that one." He set down his plate, burping. Almost instinctively, he cracked open the case that he kept constantly on his lap. "Ah, look how brilliantly it sparkles, and yet it is only one piece to the puzzle! I have to have those other six Crystal Stars!"

"But why, sire? Isn't one enough?"

"Of course one isn't enough! If I pulled out all of your teeth except one, would that one be enough to chew with? NOOOOOO! Do you understand me, Guy? I can't rule the world with one Star, do you understand that?"

"Yes, I think so. But...Isn't the world an awfully big place? How could one person rule the whole thing?"

"Well, you have to be able to delegate, Guy, and that's what I'm good at. Bossing people around is one of my strong points."  
>"Right, that's true, sire."<p>

"There are other requirements, Guy. You have to be able to think big, not small, BIG! And although small in stature, I think very big. I have all the qualities needed to rule the world, but what I don't have are those other six Crystal Stars, you DOLT!" A squeaky sound flew through the air and Jr. Troopa blushed for a few seconds. "Guy, did you hear that?"

"Huh?"

"I think you did." The meaning of this little monologue hit Shu Guy and he leapt back.

"Ah! N-No, sire! It wasn't me, I swear!" Jr. Troopa leapt off of his throne, charging past Shu Guy and pressing a button on the opposite wall.

"We'll see about that! Ha ha!" As the button depressed, four of the floor and ceiling tiles opened up and robotic arms extended from them, each grabbing one of Shu Guy's limbs, lifting him into the air. "Note to me, I must move that button to a closer spot."

"Please let me go, sire! I didn't do anything!"

"Are you saying that I would be capable of such a gross emission?"

"Oh, no...Please, sire!"

"I'll not tolerate this kind of outburst from one of my agents." From out of nowhere he pulled a chainsaw, grinning freakishly. "I'm afraid the time has come to trim the staff a bit." He gunned the engine, stepping up to Shu Guy. He raised the blade to his leg and the masked samurai began screaming.

"Sire, no! Don't cut me up, I admit it! I tooted, I farted, I passed gas! Woo hoo! I let out a stinker! Ba ha..." Jr. Troopa lowered the blade, allowing the engine to die down.

"That's better. I'll let this one go because you were honest, just don't let it happen again. Is that clear, Guy?"

"Yes, sire. I'll try to contain myself."

"Emperor Troopa!" Jr. Troopa looked up to the ceiling.

"Hm. That sounded like Agent Wendy." A panel popped open and a female Koopa fell from it, landing on one knee.

"Sire, Agent Wendy reporting as ordered." He strolled up to her.

"Well, what's the news. Did you bring me another Crystal Star?"

"No, sire. But I do have some valuable news."

"Is it about the Crystal Stars? Well?" She looked him in the eyes.

"Yes. A deep cover agent of ours landed in a place known as Dry Dry Desert. Just before he left his spy plane, he reported seeing a mysterious light with a bright glow."

"Ah hah! Was the light a Crystal Star?"

"We don't know, sire. He disappeared, and we never heard from him again." Jr. Troopa stroked his chin.

"Hm...Take Guy with you and see if there's a Crystal Star over there." Shu Guy looked down from the trap.

"B-But sire, I have to polish my mask today!"

"Never mind that! We need a disposable agent like you on this mission, Guy, now go get me a Crystal Star!" They both nodded.

"Yes, sire."

Back at Bulma's house, the pair had just sat down to dinner. "So, this is it?" Mario lifted a loaf of bread and took a huge bite out of it. "Yuck! This bread stuff doesn't have any flavor, and my soup's bitter too!" Daisy shook her head.

"That's not soup, it's coffee. And how do you expect to grow up big and strong if you don't eat right?"

He stood up from his chair. "You know, you're right. Thanks for the advice, Daisy." He strolled away, leaving Daisy confused. She finally got up the nerve to speak as he slipped his shoes on.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to get some food that'll make me big and strong." He slid his hammer over his shoulder. "I'll bring some back!"

"You might wind up being food yourself if you're not careful out there. I wouldn't do it!" Too late, he was already out the door.

It had been about fifteen minutes, and Mario was still leaping through the trees. He stepped off of a branch, landing perfectly on the ground. "Slim pickings so far. I bet Daisy can eat this whole centipede by herself." Just as he finished speaking, a deep buzzing sounded off above him. "Wow, a bird! Perfect!"

"So this is Skull Valley? Can we go back now?" Shu Guy wasn't exactly shy about his fear.

"No. We'd best check it out." Wendy put the plane down on a rock formation and the pair hopped out. As soon as their feet hit the dirt, they found themselves surrounded by skeletons, some from animals, and some not. "Right, so let's make sure we leave with our own bones." They were interrupted by a red glow off to the left.

"What is that?"

"I don't know. It could be a Crystal Star. Let's check it out." They stumbled toward it, trying to ignore the crunching of the bones beneath their feet. Just as they cleared ten paces, they heard a faint yelling coming from behind them. A shadow passed over Guy's face and it's owner leapt over the cliff on their right, landing on a branch and then leaping back off to land perfectly on the ground.

"The kid likes to jump." **It's rare to find a line that suits both stories so perfectly and be able to quote it straight from the show. I approve of this.**

"He's a hopper, alright. Beat it, kid, before you get hurt." The kid came right back with his own retort.

"You beat it! Look, I'm not going anywhere. That's my big birdie! I saw it first, so you two just stay away."

"What in the world is he talking about?"

"Beats me. Kid, I think I hear your mommy calling." They were both silenced by the lupine growls echoing from behind them. They turned back and were greeted to the sight of a pack of Pokeys, each fully grown.

"Those lights weren't Crystal Stars..."

"No kidding." Mario's face lit up.

"This is great! Now there's enough for all of us! Alright, yum!" With this, the whole pack charged. Wendy and Shu Guy wasted no time getting out of there as quickly as possible, but Mario simply allowed them to come up on him. He dropped one with a punch to the midsection, then another with a flipping kick. "Ha ha!" Pokeys came at him from every angle, but he was far too fast. Without even moving from his place on the ground he dropped seven more, laughing all the while.

Wendy and Shu Guy were thirty feet from the plane, but the Pokeys were closing too fast. One of them launched itself at Shu Guy, growling with anticipation. "Gah! This is it, Wendy!" Just as it started to come down on top of him, Mario reappeared, smashing his hammer into the creature's face. In the blink of an eye, three more were down and the pair was back in their plane, already in the air.

"Hah...That was close." They watched as Mario finished mopping up the last of the Pokeys with his hammer, a goofy grin still spread across his face. He turned quickly, the grin gone.

"Hey, my bird's getting away!" He charged after them, brandishing his hammer. Four of the remaining Pokeys leapt onto him, but the extra weight didn't seem to bother him. "Hammer pole, extend!" The mallet's handle did just that as he pressed one end to the ground, propelling him into the air. The Pokeys fell off of him one by one, and he launched himself to the plane's level, delivering a crushing kick to the side of the cockpit. The two occupants screamed as the plane fell from the sky, crashing in a forest below.

Mario approached the plane a few minutes later, rapping on it with his hammer. "Aw, man! This bird's rock solid." Above him, Wendy and Shu Guy were hanging from tree branches, still dazed from the crash.

"Daisy, I'm back!" The teen looked up from her magazine at the door.

"Well, that kid's alive after all. I'll be darned." She went over, cracking open the door. Mario held up a huge centipede, grinning widely.

"If you think this appetizer looks good, then check out the main course!" He turned, revealing a Pokey propped up on the head of his hammer.

"AUUUUGH!" She slammed the door in his face, rushing back to her room.

"Huh. Oh well." HE turned about, looking for wood to build up a fire.

Once the Pokey had finished cooking, Mario turned back to the house. "Hey, Daisy! Were you serious about not eating? This is looking really good!"

"You're grossing me out, Mario! I can't believe you're going to eat that!" She had barely finished speaking when chomping sounds filled the air. It was less than a minute before they stopped and Mario was back through the door.

"Ew, Mario! You need to brush your teeth!"

"Huh?"

"I don't want to smell your nasty old wolf breath!" He disregarded this statement and leapt up onto the bed, hopping around.

"Oh wow! What a soft bed! I could bounce like this all night. Come on, Daisy, there's room for both of us." She walked up with a blanket.

"Room? We're not sleeping together. You're sleeping on the floor." He stopped immediately.

"On the floor?"

"Yeah. You don't mind that, right? You're used to roughing it. I mean, a guy who eats centipedes shouldn't mind sleeping on the floor."

"I don't mind, but I hope it's not because you're still mad about not having a tail."

"GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK HEAD! I DON'T WANT A TAIL!" She shook her head, stomping into the bathroom. She filled up a cup with water and began brushing her teeth. "Hey Mario, why were you living with your grandpa, anyway? What happened to your parents?"

"I don't know. My grandpa found me on a mountainside on a bed of moss, so he picked me up and took me home."

"Well, did you know you don't have to keep a tail just because you were born with one? Some dogs get their tails cut off just after they're born."

"Well, you shouldn't have let them do that to you, Daisy. You're no dog!" She stuck her head around the corner, her face filled with rage.

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ME, LAMEBRAIN! I NEVER HAD A TAIL...hm?" Mario was already sound asleep. She stood there growling in frustration. "I don't know what planet this kid's from, but it's not Earth."

**I'm skipping the next comedy bit, mostly because the dialogue doesn't make sense with the Mario context. Sorry...**

The next morning, the pair sat in the kitchen waiting for the coffee to perc. "Come on, Daisy. How long is this going to take?" She sat on the other side of the table, brushing her hair.

"Well, you can go out in public with your hair sticking up in every direction, but not me. Here, would you like to have some coffee?" He shook his head.

"No, that stuff tastes funny and it makes me feel weird. I'm gonna go exercise." He rushed out the front door, enjoying the sunshine. Suddenly, he raised both arms and rushed toward a boulder a few feet in front of the house. He grabbed it on both sides and lifted it from the ground. His face turned red with effort as he began to squeeze, and after a few seconds the rock had shattered between his hands. He took one breath and rushed off to the next boulder, but oddly enough this one talked when he picked it up.

"Whoa, hey!"

"Huh? What in the world?" He looked around the edge of the rock and saw that it actually had a face. "Gah!" He tossed the thing straight down, jumping back.

"Uh...Ow, that's a new pain..." Mario looked around him, eyes wide.

"Mario, who are you talking to out there?" Daisy stuck her head out the door. "Huh? A Shellcrawler? But those aren't anywhere around here. Shouldn't you be down by the ocean?" He nodded.

"Yeah, and I'm very concerned about being so far from home. By the way, do you have any saltwater?"

"Sure. We'll fix you right up." A few moments later, the the Shellcrawler had just finished off a whole bucket of saltwater that Daisy had made up for him.

"Ah...Good seawater. Aromatic, yet full-bodied."

"Yeah, I think it's an '87." He shook his head.

"Nope. '86."

"Really? Are you sure about that?" He nodded.

"Yep. I know my water." She shrugged.

"So what are you doing out here?"

"Well, to make a long story incredibly short, I'm lost. It's that simple, I'm lost. I've been trying to find my way back to the sea for over a year now."

"That's so sad. And you're still not anywhere near the sea. Hold on, let me go check my map." She grabbed the map off of the coffee table that was just inside the door. "Bad news. You're still a hundred miles away."

"Great, that'll take me twenty years." Mario scratched his head.

"Gosh, that sound like a long time."

"I wish there was some way we could help you." Mario piped up at this.

"Hey, I know! Would you like me to carry you to the sea, Mr. Shellcrawler?" The huge creature turned to the boy, chuckling with delight.

"Why yes, thank you!" Daisy turned to Mario as well, but with considerably less giddiness.

"Are you nuts?"

"Well, you just said that you wished we could help. So why don't we just take him to the sea?"

"I didn't mean it for real, Mario. We're on an adventure! We don't have time to transport a beached Shellcrawler, okay?"

"You're impossible."

"I'm impossible?! What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if we're so pressed for time, why did you spend the whole morning in front of the mirror worrying about your hair?" She got right in his face and continued yelling.

"Fine, help the stupid Shellcrawler if you want! I can find the Crystal Stars by myself!" Mario lifted the Shellcrawler onto his back and looked up at him.

"Gosh, are women like this where you come from?"

"No, most have tails." Mario jogged away, trailed by a volley of rude gestures from Daisy.

"Fine, be that way! I hope you get a backache, you little twerp!" She stood back, crossing her arms. "Man, what a geek. I don't need his stupid help anyway. I can handle whatever comes my way on my own." This challenge was answered by the screams of a Yoob about a quarter mile to the west. "Oh."

Mario had only gone about a mile before he heard Daisy's voice again. "Stop! Stop or I'll run you down, Mario!" The Shellcrawler whispered to him from behind.

"We'd better stop. That girl scares me." Mario pulled off to the side of the path as Daisy skidded up from behind on her bike.

"Careful, you could mess up your hair riding on that thing."

"Knock it off! I decided to forgive you."

"What's the matter, scared?" They began running again, with Daisy keeping pace.

"Me? Scared? Give me a break. Let's just go find those Crystal Stars."

**Ok, so I've got plenty to say. First things first, sorry this took so long. I was having a few issues with my documents, but we're good again. Second thing, I've gotten a lot of people asking if I'm going to do GT. That's actually up to you guys, because I can do either Battle of Gods or GT, but I'm not doing both. And finally, I'd like suggestions on how to Mario-ize the Kamehameha. That's more or less the only thing I've been unable to think of as of yet. See you in the next one!**


	3. Chapter 3

** Ok, so I've only really got two things to say here. First of all, I appreciate your concern, but trust me, I will NOT be discontinuing this story. The chapters to this one take longer to write than a normal story because I'm transferring them directly from a script and having to add artistic license from another franchise, so from this point forward expect a 7-10 day delay between chapter updates. Secondly, because this is going to be a looooooooong story, I'm considering cutting out filler, which I define as an episode where no new characters are introduced and no valid plot points are covered (excluding action episodes like the Frieza Battle). A bit of feedback on this point would be appreciated since filler starts up as soon as Season 1 ends if I recall correctly. With those brief messages done, let's get on with the story.**

Daisy and Mario puttered along the old dirt path, Mario still carrying the huge Shellcrawler on his back. "I hope we get there soon. I'm really getting hungry." His passenger looked down and grinned.

"You know, this is probably the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

"Aw, hey. It's no big deal, really!"

"Well, I just wanted to thank you." Daisy rolled her eyes from over on her bike.

"Gosh, I think I'm gonna cry. Please spare me, and just concentrate on where we're going so we can get there while we're still young!" Mario looked over at her, a questioning look on his face.

"Why are you always complaining? Why don't you try thinking happy thoughts, Daisy?" She killed the ignition on her bike.

"Hold up and we'll see if there's anything to be happy about." She reached back, pulling her atlas out of her satchel. "Not bad. Just two more miles." Mario grinned widely.

"Wow, we're really close! That's great!"

"Oh, I can't wait to get back in the water." Daisy kicked her bike back into gear and they began speeding along again. Unbeknownst to them, a huge, tan Goomba was crouched behind a boulder a quarter mile away, licking his lips in anticipation.

"Hm hm hm...Looks like dinner's on the way." He waited until the group was in earshot and stepped onto the road, blocking the path with his enormous body. Daisy spun her bike all the way around, screaming and preparing to run. "Oh, yeah. Humans give me heartburn, but I love Shellcrawlers. Look, hand it over or you're dead." Daisy tugged on Mario's shirt.

"M-Mario, you heard him. Give him the Shellcrawler, quick!" Mario disregarded this command and stuck his tongue out at the huge Goomba, going so far as to blow him a raspberry. The Goomba chuckled at this display of defiance.

"Well, I guess a little heartburn never hurt anybody. Alright, have it your way if you want." He leaned down, staring Mario in the eyes.

"Mario, you idiot, you're going to get us killed!" Mario shook his head.

"I don't care what this guy says. No." Daisy glanced back and forth between Mario and the Goomba.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND, KID?"

"He's my friend, Daisy!" The Goomba raised a foot above their heads.

"Not for long." Daisy screamed, jarring her bike in the opposite direction. Mario turned back, looking over his shoulder at the Shellcrawler.

"I think you better hop down." The larger creature was only successful in screaming as the Goomba's massive foot came down where they had been only seconds before. Mario had leapt twenty feet backwards out of it's striking distance. "Here you go." He leaned backward, allowing the Shellcrawler safe passage off of his back. As he stood up straight again, he glared at the Goomba. "Alright, it's just you and me now." The huge creature chuckled in his throat.

"Gah ha ha! You think you're real cute, don't you, monkey boy? You should have saved your skin while you had the chance!" He charged, intent on smashing Mario into the dust. Mario simply stood in place, laughing all the while. The Goomba spun about, swinging one leg at Mario's head. He simply leaned back, dodging the attack entirely. Two more just like it followed, but Mario dodged them as well, still chuckling at the goon's helplessness. Finally he leapt all the way over the Goomba's head as the huge animal tried to squash him.

"Yoo hoo! Over here, Goomba breath!" The monster turned, his face now displaying more confusion than rage. Back behind the boulders, Daisy called out to their new companion.

"Forget about him, Shellcrawler! Let's get out of here!" Just as she finished speaking, the Goomba squared up to Mario once again.

"You know, I like you, kid. Too bad you have to die!" The Goomba swung another huge leg at Mario's head, but this time the boy disappeared entirely.

"Up here! Ha ha ha!" He had managed to plant himself very firmly on the Goomba's head. He jumped into the air, his arms bulging. "One...two...THREE!" He fell at an incredible velocity, smashing a fist directly into the top of the Goomba's head.

"Huuuuaagh..." The huge creature fell, coins spurting from the top of his head. Mario leapt off, landing safely on the ground and still grinning childishly.

"Well, that's that." Daisy stared back at him from her bike, her voice now shaky.

"Yeah...sure...whatever you say, kid." Mario strolled up to the Shellcrawler.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks to you." Mario rubbed his chin.

"So some creatures think you're good to eat, huh?" The Shellcrawler's eyes bulged.

"Oh my, no! How disgusting! Shellcrawler meat is tough and poisonous! You'd puke." Mario lifted the creature back onto his back.

"That's what I thought. Some people will eat anything. Not me, though." Safe on the child's back, the old creature sighed with relief. Daisy pulled up beside them on her bike.

"Are you ready, guys? Let's get going!" Mario barely let her finish her sentence before he started running along the path again.

"Onward to the sea!" Daisy sped along just behind him.

"Hey, wait up!" It was only a few short minutes until they reached the beach. "Look, Mario! We're really here!" Mario's eyes bulged from the sight before him.

"Wow! We made it! It's huge, and blue, and beautiful!" He rushed out onto the sand, eager to see more. "The sea!" They stood there for a few moments, just taking in the view.

"Isn't it beautiful, Mario?"

"Yeah, it's incredible! I never dreamed that a place like this really existed." The Shellcrawler spoke from between them.

"I was starting to wonder myself, it's been so long. Thanks for bringing me back."

"Hey, sure. No problem. It was a lot of fun!"

"Well, I'd better get going." He crawled out into the water, turning back one last time.

"You sure do have a great home!"

"Well, I never would have made it if it wasn't for you."

"Hey, anytime!" At this point, Daisy was yawning profusely. The Shellcrawler set out into the water.

"Hey, would you mind waiting here for a moment? I have a gift I'd like to bring you to repay you for all you've done for me." Mario and Daisy both looked a bit confused.

"A gift?"

"Huh. What kind of gift can a turtle have?" He grinned back at her.

"You'll see. I'll be back soon." He set off under the waves with Daisy still yelling at him from behind.

"Wait! What kind of gift? It's not a stupid shell, is it? Come on!" Finally, their friend crossed over the horizon and Daisy sighed in disappointment. "He's gone." After a time, Mario rolled up his pant legs and waded into the water with Daisy following tentatively. "Whatcha doing there, kid?" Mario raised a cupped hand of seawater to his mouth. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Too late. He got a good slurp of it and spit it out immediately.

"Ewww! This water's salty!" Daisy chuckled as she turned and headed back to the sand.

Meanwhile, Jr. Troopa squealed aloud as his Cheep-cheep reared up, trying to throw him once again. Just behind the massive gate, millions of people stood chanting his name in exaltation. "Hail Troopa! Hail Troopa!" From off to the side, an announcer spoke as he trotted through the gate.

"Make way for Master Jr. Troopa, the supreme ruler of the world!" The crowd began to split around him as he rode through their midst.

"Ah, thank you, thank you." Master Jr. Troopa grinned maliciously at his Ruby Star. "You're too kind, really."

"Master Troopa! Master Troopa!" He sighed, opening his eyes.

"What?! Spit it out. Did you get the Crystal Star?" They stopped at attention before him.

"Not exactly."

"It's like this. There was a slight problem with the information, sire."

"AND?!" Wendy gulped with fear.

"It was bogus! We were nearly killed by a huge pack of Pokeys!"

"And then we crashed, sire! Some crazy kid! He kicked our plane!"

"Silence! I'm SICK of your lamebrained EXCUSES! Now get OUT of here and GET that Crystal Star if it's the last thing you DO! UNDERSTAND?!" They both snapped to attention.

"Yes sir!" As they finished this little exchange, Troopa's automatic telephone strolled over, ringing all the while. He lifted the phone off the reciever.

"Hello?" He gasped as the other end of the line babbled incoherently. "What's that, you say?!" Some more jabbering. "Incredible! And where is it?" Wendy and Shu Guy stared at one another in confusion as Jr. Troopa hung up the phone and turned to them. "We're in luck! Another Crystal Star has been found! An old hermit named Toadsworth has it, and nobody's even guarding it!"

"But does he have any Pokeys?"

"No, you dunderhead. He lives on an island in the middle of the sea. Pokeys don't go there." Wendy nodded to herself.

"We'd better be careful. Could be another bum steer."

"Nevermind that, just go get me that Crystal Star!"

"Yes sir!" They didn't even notice he had rushed out to the hangar with them until they turned to enter their plane. "Sire? You've never come with us on a mission before."

"You two keep screwing up! I can't trust you on your own anymore." A few minutes later they were rising into the sky through the tower of Troopa Castle.

"Engaging thrusters." The plane sped off through the air. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and remain seated at all times." Jr. Troopa squirmed up to Shu Guy.

"For goodness sake, Guy...It's too stuffy in here."

"Yeah, it's a little cramped." Shu Guy rolled his eyes, muttering to himself.

"Well, if there's one too many in here..."

"What did you say?!"

"Uh...I said I read you loud and clear!"

Meanwhile, back at the beach, Daisy was still enjoying the cool salty air, and drawing in the sand with a twig. "Ah...I get so relaxed when I'm on the beach."

"Yeah, you're not talking nearly as much." Mario was building himself a little sand pile, as children do.

"Huh? What's that, Mario? Whatever it is, it's moving toward us." Mario gasped.

"It's the Shellcrawler! And he's got someone on his back!"

"Wow. It's like you've got super vision or something. Pretty cool, Mario." The Shellcrawler was indeed carrying someone on his back. From afar Mario could be heard calling out to his friend.

"Doesn't he realize that he and his friend are the only ones on the beach?"

"Ahoy there!" The Shellcrawler chuckled with glee. "Sorry I kept you waiting. I had to go get my master." The two of them were stuck staring at the strange man on the creature's back for a few seconds.

"Man, check that guy out." The strange figure was definitely a Toad, but not quite one either of the two had ever seen. He wore a pair of shaded reading glasses, khaki shorts, a button up Teehee Lagoon shirt, and a huge Shellcrawler shell on his back. As the Shellcrawler pulled itself up onto the beach, the old Toad raised a hand.

"Well, hello there, kids."

"Hi, how's it going? Welcome ashore." There was a few seconds pause before Daisy finally had to say it. "What a cool outfit."

"Kids, I want to thank you for helping my Shellcrawler." Mario piped up now.

"It was our pleasure, mister." He hopped down off the creature's back.

"I'm Toadsworth, the Shellcrawler hermit." Daisy took a moment to respond to this.

"Uh...A Shellcrawler hermit?" The old Toad turned to his companion.

"Which one of these kids helped you?" The creature pointed to Mario with one flipper.

"It was that little boy there." Toadsworth strolled up to Mario, nodding in approval.

"You're a very brave boy. I've got a gift I want to give you as a token of my gratitude."

"Hear that, Mario?" The old Toad nodded and walked to the edge of the water. He lifted his staff with both arms, thrusting them both out over the sea.

"COME, MAGIC CARPET!" Daisy's eyes began to gleam.

"Magic Carpet?!" Mario looked at her in confusion.

"Magic Carpet? What's that?" She rolled her eyes.

"What do you mean what's a magic carpet? It's a carpet you can sit on and fly anywhere you want! They're not real, though. At least I don't think they are." The Shellcrawler had just made it to his master's side by now.

"Hey, master, hold on! You took the magic carpet to the cleaners." Toadsworth lowered his arms.

"Hm, that's right." Daisy looked a bit downhearted.

"Just as I thought. They're not real." Toadsworth scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Well, the other option is the Star Boat, but am I really ready to part with it?" He shrugged finally. "Why not? If you can ride it, it's yours!" He stretched his arms out again. "COME TO ME, STAR BOAT!" The pair stared once again.

"He's odd."

"He's not odd, he's nuts." The old Toad stared into the sky.

"Now, where is that Boat?" Just as he finished speaking, a white and blue mass came puffing down out of the sky, flying a few circles around the group before coming to a halt directly in front of it's caller.

"Wow!"

"It's incredible!" They both backed up a few steps.

"Oh, don't be afraid. She's as sweet as candy." Goku rapped on the side of the boat, eying it carefully.

"So what does this boat do, anyway?"

"If you can stay in this Star Boat, it will fly you wherever you want in the whole world."

"Ok, but where's the hitch? There's got to be something wrong with it, right, or you wouldn't be just giving it away." A bit of anger crossed the elder's face.

"There's nothing wrong with this boat!" Mario's eyes lit up.

"Hey! Can I try to ride it now?" Toadsworth nodded.

"Sure, why not? But I must warn you, you must be pure of heart to ride this boat."

"Huh?"

"Yep. Otherwise it won't let you on it. It's picky that way." Mario looked back at the boat with a new respect.

"Wow!" Toadsworth drew himself up to his full height.

"Let an old man show you how it's done." He sprang up onto the boat, falling straight through it. He fell over, cringing and clawing at his injured pride and buttocks as Daisy stumbled back laughing.

"Are you okay Master? You must have done something naughty." Toadsworth grumbled to himself, finally speaking aloud after a moment.

"Be quiet." Mario, being confused by this little exchange, simply started up again.

"Alright, now let me try it." He leapt up, landing perfectly on both feet in the center of the boat. All three onlookers gasped. "Alright, I did it!" Mario continued cheering as the Shellcrawler and his master whispered back and forth.

"He did it, Master!"

"I'll be darned. There goes my boat."

Meanwhile, a light humming could be heard from the inside of the plane as it puttered across the sky. "Shut up, Guy."

"Sorry, sire." Both of the copilots were staring out the windows with binoculars at this point. "Is there any sign of the island yet?" Wendy shook her head.

"Negative." Jr. Troopa's eyes, on the other hand, lit up with delight.

"There it is! Take her down!"

"Of course, sire!" The plane began to lower, but the increased pressure as they turned toward the island squashed them all to one side of the plane, causing them to smack into the water once or twice before skidding to a halt on the edge of the island. They all leapt off, shaking their limbs loose. They looked around the incredibly tiny island.

"Nice house for a Shellcrawler hermit."

"Yeah, I wonder if he's hiring."

"You imbecile. Let's get on with it. Go get that Crystal Star and don't you dare screw up."

"Sir!"

"Now follow me." The three of them rushed forward to the front door and came to a halt on the porch." Troopa grinned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Telegram! Hello, we've got a telegram here! IS ANYBODY HOME!" He slammed on the door a few times. Meanwhile, his companions were falling over at the ridiculousness of the situation. "Good, the place is empty." Shu Guy spoke up.

"I've got an idea. Why don't we just break in?"

"Heh heh. Break in? I like your style, Guy, but you're in the presence of a brilliant mind. There is seldom need for brute force. Now, where did I put that thing?" He checked both of his pockets, then one shoe, then finally under the flap of eggshell on his head. "Ah, here it is!" He clicked a button on the small stick he had brought out. "My universal key is just the thing for this job. We could break in, but hey, that's not how I operate." He twisted the key a few times in the lock until it clicked. "There!" He turned the knob, but to no avail. "Hey! Come on!" He pulled harder, placing a foot on the doorframe for leverage.

"Sire?" He glanced to the left and saw Shu Guy and Wendy both staring out the kitchen window at him.

"Hey look, sire, this window was open the whole time!" Wendy rolled her eyes.

"I'll open the door. Wait there."

Meanwhile, Mario was enjoying his new boat on the beach, soaring back and forth, pulling loops, 360s, and corkscrews with it, laughing all the way." He came down, splashing through the ocean, chuckling as the sea broke before him. After about ten minutes, he finally pulled to a stop beside Daisy and the others. He turned to Toadsworth with a huge grin on his face.

"Wow, it's great! Thanks! I love it."

"You fly that thing like you've had it your whole life." Mario chuckled, lifting off again.

"Thanks! See ya!" He blasted off yet again, leaving the group alone again. Daisy turned to the old Toad as they watched Mario climb into the distance.

"Hey, what about me?"

"Hm?"

"Aren't you going to give me a gift too?" Toadsworth looked down at the Shellcrawler.

"What do you say? Did this young lady help you as well?"

"Uh, no. Just the boy." Daisy threw her hands up.

"Hey! What about the seawater I gave you?!" Toadsworth stroked his mustache.

"Hm. I think I'll have to side with the Shellcrawler on this one. But I could be persuaded to change my mind. For instance...if, uh...you were to let me...see...your underwear..." Daisy stepped back in shock.

"Master, what are you doing?!" Daisy mumbled into the breeze.

"You want to see...my...YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Toadsworth nodded enthusiastically.

"Have you forgotten your code, Master? Please, that's wrong! Dead wrong!"

"Oh, hush up, will you? Can't a master take a break from training and have a little fun?!" The Shellcrawler lay his head on one flipper.

"Now I understand why you couldn't ride your cloud."

"Bite your tongue!" Daisy stood just across the beach, gripping her dress.

"This is so embarrassing...I can't believe I'm...doing this..." Then, without any further warning, she threw her dress up and assumed a wide stance. "TA DAAAA!" Toadsworth's lip twitched and the top cracked off of his staff. Blood spurted from both of his nostrils.

"Oh, my eyes...I think I'm blind...I'm gonna faint..."

"There, done." Daisy turned away immediately, pulling her dress down as far as she could. "Now, where's my gift at?" Toadsworth shook himself.

"Ah, yes. I have one in mind." He ran through his list of possessions in his head. He could give her...no, the wheels had fallen off that. Or how about...

"NEVER MIND! I want that!" Daisy pointed to his chest, excitement drawn on her face.

"What, this? You sure you want this old thing? I found it washed up on my island a long time ago." He handed the necklace with the trinket across to her.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Incredible! She'd already found the Gold Star! "Hey, Mario, come here! I've got something to show you!" As if on cue, Mario pulled up beside her.

"What's up?"

"Look, I've found another Crystal Star!" She handed it to him and a grin spread across his face.

"Wow, it sure is, huh?" Toadsworth stepped forward.

"Our fourth Crystal Star."

"A Crystal what, you call it?"

"Aren't you glad I helped the Shellcrawler now? It payed off!"

"I sure am! You were so right. And now just three more, then wish time!"

"Yeah!" Toadsworth cocked his head.

"What? That thing grants wishes?"

"What a great day!" Daisy turned to the shell-wearing pair and grinned.

"Thank you! We love our gifts! You're a kindhearted and generous man. Thank you so much!"

"I never said you could have the Star."

"Aw, come on!" She raised her dress up and down, taunting him time and time again.

"Ok, never mind! I give, you can take it!" Daisy threw her arms in the air, grinning wildly.

"Yeah! Woohoo!" A few moments later, Daisy was mounted on her bike once again and Toadsworth was back on his Shellcrawler. "Goodbye, Mr. Toadsworth! Thanks again!" Toadsworth mumbled to himself as he set out across the waves.

"Kids these days are like little piranhas. I was lucky to get out of there with my staff and sandals."

Back at the Capsule house, Daisy couldn't stop herself from going on about the day's achievments. "Man, I can't believe today went so well. Four Crystal Stars already. Just three more and we can make our wish! I guess it was meant to be, kiddo." She strolled into the house, humming giddily. Mario simply lay back on his cloud, looking up at the sky.

"Wow, I wish Grandpa could see me now."** Skipping this next bit since it follows with that part in the last chapter.**

Meanwhile, at Toadsworth's pad, Jr. Troopa's crew was still rummaging around. "Ugh, this is disgusting."

"It's not up here, sire."

"Or in the kitchen. It's possible that someone tipped him off." Jr. Troopa stroked his chin.

"I wonder...Wait here." He rushed out the front door and was greeted to the sight of a large Rex sunbathing in the beach chair in the side yard. "Hey there. Nice day, huh?" As he spoke, he extended a switchblade just in front of the creature's nose. "You'd better tell me what I want to know or I'll make a new handbag out of you."

"Ok!"

"Where did this Toadsworth the Shellcrawler Hermit go?"

"Master Toadsworth? He's right there, man!" Troopa spun around, his eyes bulging.

"Gah! Guy, Wendy!" The pair rushed out the front door.

"What is it, Emperor?"

"Keep me covered." Shu Guy drew his sword and Wendy drew her gun. As Toadsworth pulled up on the beach, he hopped off the Shellcrawler.

"Hi, don't believe we've met."

"Hi. Now hand it over."

"What exactly?"

"The Crystal Star."

"What Star?"

"Yeah, that's right, puff-head."

"You heard the man, now cough it up."

"Crystal...Oh yeah, I remember now. I just gave it to that pretty girl on the beach."

"Are you kidding?"

"Not at all. She wouldn't leave me alone until I gave it to her. She was nuts about that Star because of some crazy wish." Jr. Troopa stepped forward, squaring himself to Toadsworth.

"I want to know where that girl is."

"I don't know! But I just finished talking to her about...eh..."

"She can't have gotten too far! Guy, Wendy, let's go!" They rushed back to the plane, climbing in quickly. "Engaging amphibious transformation!" The wings retracted into the plane and a motor with a propeller extended from the back end. Troopa glanced over to Toadsworth. "Um, excuse me. Would you mind giving us a little push?"

"Anything to get you off my island, you yellow faced dwarf." He smacked the back end of the ship with his staff, grinning evilly as a large break appeared in the hull. "Alright, here you go!" He shoved the ship out into the water. "Bon voyage! Enjoy the bottom of the sea!"

"Thank you!" Toadsworth shook his head at this idiocy.

"Those three deserve the whole I put in their side. Too bad. It was a nice plane." Just off the coast, Troopa was back to yelling at his minions.

"Guy, step on it! We're going too slow!"

"Aye, aye, skipper." The boat sped up and more water began flowing into the huge gap in the hull.

Back at the Capsule House, Daisy had her finger on the deactivation button. "And here we go!" She pressed it down and suddenly the whole house disappeared from around them. Mario fell back, still shocked by these transforming houses. "Now that's what I call house-cleaning."

"Don't scare me like that, Daisy!"

"Sorry. I'll warn you next time." She stepped over to him, looking at his new vehicle. "I guess we'll both have to take the Star Boat. It'll be faster." Mario looked over at her.

"But didn't Master Toadsworth say you had to be pure of heart to ride the Star Boat?"

"And what's that supposed to mean? I'm probably the purest person you know!" He shrugged.

"Alright." The boat lowered at his will. "Go ahead, give it a try." Daisy did just that, leaping up into the boat, and falling straight through it. She spent a few seconds on the ground whimpering. "Pure, huh?" Daisy pulled herself up, yelling yet again.

"Grah! Now my clothes are dirty! I didn't wanna ride that stupid boat anyway!" A few moments later, they both sped along, Mario on the Star Boat. He looked back down at her, observing her closely.

"Kind of slow, huh?"

"Oh, just shut up."

Meanwhile, Jr. Troopa and his crew had just discovered the huge leak in their boat. As the water came up past their knees, screams echoed from within the ship. The last sight granted by the setting sun was Troopa's loose eggshell floating to the top of the water.


End file.
